It's You
by BoxingBunny
Summary: I’ll try my hardest because now I have a reason to come home again. It’s you..."


AN: ONE-SHOT! This is just a little something to tide over everyone until my other stories are updated. Apparently part of my college's curriculum is to test the mental endurance of the students. I have deadlines approaching for an art history term paper, huge physics lab on energy and momentum, and a Word/PowerPoint presentation on wall carvings/reliefs ranging from Paleolithic through Roman periods. And on top of it all I caught my boyfriend's cold. Okay, enough of my whining! On with my little story, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, YuYu Hakusho, or any part of the song It's You.

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It's You  
-Inspired by the song It's You by Michelle Branch

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Kagome turned the small envelope in her hands over and over again as she made her way towards her destination. She knew that things in the Feudal Era were coming to a head and she might not be able to come home anymore after she left the following morning. So many things could happen. Assuming that she lived through the coming battle, the well may not allow her to travel through time once the Jewel was completed. They weren't sure what would happen once they fused all of the shards together, and that made her nervous.

Six months ago the thought of not being able to return to her time might not have bothered her that much. Sure, she would have missed her family, but she had her friends in the past and then there was her love for Inuyasha that she could nurture and eventually use as a base for them to start a real relationship. She would have been okay if she had been stuck in the past. But it was six months ago that Kagome had just happened to be home the week of a small family reunion.

It was six months ago that she'd gotten reacquainted with her cousin Yusuke. It was five months and three weeks ago that she'd met Yusuke's friends. It was five months ago that she'd accidentally learned that people with lives as extraordinary as hers were still around. And it was only four months ago that she'd had to admit to herself that she was in love…but not with Inuyasha.

Everything about him captivated her. Smooth skin that begged to be touched, a lean and perfectly toned body, crimson hair that always smelled of roses, a deep voice that made her stomach tighten and her cheeks flush, and those entrancing emerald eyes. She'd noticed his eyes first. They were always so calm but held an intensity that couldn't be matched.

But she wasn't so shallow as to be brought in by his physical features alone. Kurama was kind, loyal, and a perfect gentleman. He had more admirers than she had ever thought humanly possible, but he always tried to be as polite and patient with them as he could be while they practically threw themselves at him. He stood by his friends and was always that voice of reason that Yusuke and Kuwabara seemed to be missing. And of course he always opened her doors and pulled out her chairs for her when Yusuke would invite her to come hang out with them.

She had tried telling herself that it was just how he was raised and that he would do it for any other female, but she couldn't stop the small crush that took root in her heart. And, despite her better efforts, her crush grew and evolved as she got to know him from the time she spent with her cousin's group of friends. He told her about his mother and how she was the reason he hadn't gone back to his thieving ways (except for that little incident with the Forlorn Hope), and she found out that he had the brains to match the beauty and the brawn. He had goals for his life and had every intention of achieving them.

When she would visit Yusuke, Kagome often found herself wrapped in a conversation with Kurama while Hiei silently glared at Yusuke and Kuwabara's antics. They talked about their favorite music, movies, books, foods, and everything in between. She even knew his favorite color at this point! Everything that he'd ever told her had been memorized without her even realizing it.

She tried telling herself that she respected Kurama as a friend and a man and that she was merely mislabeling that respect as something more.

She already loved Inuyasha, right?

Of course she did! She loved Inuyasha, the half-demon who lived five hundred years in the past. She loved Inuyasha, the man who bottled up his weaker emotions until the exploded into argument-starting outbursts. She loved Inuyasha, the boy who would always see his first love when he looked at her no matter how hard he might try to stop.

But then what was the tight feeling in her chest and the flutter in her stomach when the thought about Kurama's gentle smiles? Why did she feel like she would be everywhere at once when they were in the same room if her skin wasn't keeping her contained? And why did that same skin grow hot and tingly whenever they brushed by each other?

But when she realized that she truly was in love with the beautiful fox spirit avatar it felt like her ability to breathe had been taken away. Her heart had grown tired of Inuyasha's rejections and moved on without her noticing. It had been a shock to realize that she loved someone else after trying to get Inuyasha's affections for so long, but she couldn't stop the goofy grin that made its way to her face.

Her friends had been concerned when she had stopped mid-step on their walk to get something to eat and gone from looking as though someone had slapped her to looking like a kitten just presented with a bowl of cream. But she ignored their prying questions and suspicious looks all the way to the café. But her secret didn't last for long because as they sat at their usual table by the café window, a certain red-head passed by on his way home from school. A small wave and a smile was all it took for Kagome's face to light up and turn as red as his hair as she waved back.

With the handsome boy gone, a chorus of shrill giggles and cries of joy erupted from the three girls around her and they insisted on a shopping spree to celebrate Kagome's new love interest.

But now, after accepting the fact that she had fallen hard for the charming avatar, Kagome was faced with a problem. When she loved Inuyasha, being stuck in the past would be acceptable because she would have her love there with her. But if she wasn't able to come back then she would be stuck to watch her friends move on and live happy lives with the ones they loved while she would likely remain solitary as a village healer.

So with that possibility in mind, Kagome decided to leave home with no regrets. And it was this decision that found her fiddling with the envelope in her hands as she walked to Kurama's house.

When she arrived she could see his mother tending a small garden. "Hello Ms. Minamino," Kagome called as she got closer. "Is Shuichi home?"

As Kurama's human mother stood, she couldn't help but smile at the young woman that she knew her son had become quite taken with. Shiori like Kagome and hoped that her son would get up the courage to ask the young woman on a date soon before another young man swept her off her feet. "I'm sorry dear, but he left with your cousin and the others a couple of hours ago. He said he would be back this evening, but I never can be sure," she answered with a light laugh. She still worried about her son, but always came home safely so she allowed the disappearing acts that he would pull from time to time.

"Oh…" Kagome couldn't keep the disappointment from showing on her face and in her voice. She knew there was a chance that he wouldn't be home, but she knew she at least had to come and check. "Well I'm going out of town for a while tomorrow and was hoping I would be able to talk to him before I left. Do you think you could give him this for me?" She asked holding up the little white envelope.

"Of course, I'll be sure he gets it. I hope you have a safe trip. You'll have to come over for supper one night when you get back, alright?" Shiori offered.

"Okay," Kagome said with a forced smile. She wasn't sure if she would be coming back, but she couldn't tell something like that to the kind older woman.

After returning home Kagome packed her bag, ate supper, and got a hot bath before settling down for the night to have dreams of silver foxes and red roses.

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The next morning, after her mother made sure she'd had a good breakfast and she'd said goodbye to her family, Kagome stood before the well alone. She'd asked her family to stay in the house while she left because she didn't want the sight of her mother trying to be strong and keep her emotions together to dissuade her from what she knew she had to do.

Kagome took a deep breath as she looked into the darkness that the well presented her. All she could do at this point was hope to see this side of the well again and try not to cry. Placing her hands and one knee on the wooden lip of the dry well, she was just about to push off with her other foot when a loud rattle was heard behind her followed by the well house door slamming open.

Starting slightly before turning around, Kagome dropped her large yellow backpack and stood in stunned silence. Standing in the doorway with the morning sun to his back was Kurama panting like he'd just run a marathon.

He was dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans, an olive green long-sleeved shirt, and tennis shoes. His long red hair was hastily pulled back into a loose ponytail which it was already slipping out of, and his skin shone with a light layer of perspiration. He looked as though he'd pulled himself together in five minutes and bolted out the door, which in truth he had.

Kurama had awoken after a night out with his friends and made his way to the kitchen. It was there that he saw a letter pinned to the refrigerator that he hadn't noticed the night before. Seeing that his name was on the front of the envelope, he plucked it out from under its magnet and opened it to see what it contained. But as he read, his sleepy eyes cleared and widened.

_Kurama,_

_I'll be leaving to finish our shard hunt in the morning. After the Jewel is completed I'm not sure if I'll be able to come back through the well. I don't want to leave my life here with any regrets._

_I know that if I try to tell you this to your face I'll become a stuttering mess, so I ended up having to write you this letter. I can face down fierce demons that want to kill me, but I can't keep my wits about me when I'm with you! It's sort of funny, isn't it??_

_I really like you, Kurama. Ever since I met you, without realizing it, I've slowly been falling in love with you. I have no idea how you feel about me and I know that it isn't fair to tell you something like this through a letter and then leave, but I had to let you know._

_If I don't see you anymore, I hope you have a great life. I know you'll do everything you want to do. Be happy and try to keep Yusuke out of trouble, okay?_

_Love,  
Kagome_

Kurama had immediately gotten dressed and run out the door with the letter still clenched tightly in his hand but not before grabbing a box off of his nightstand. He ran as fast as he could, hoping that he would make it to Kagome's family shrine in time to catch her before she left.

When he arrived he could still feel her aura on the grounds, but she was already in the well house. He had never been as relieved as when he saw her turn around to face him.

He smiled as he descended the few stairs that separated them and simply continued to keep eye contact with her. When he stopped they stood less than two feet apart and he continued to search her eyes and her face for any kind of telling sign that would tell him that the letter was true. He found exactly what he was looking for when her blue-grey eyes darted down to the letter that was slightly crumpled in his hand and a deep blush settled itself on her cheeks.

Kagome's mind was racing as she saw Kurama just standing before her with her letter held tightly in his hand. She was about to ask him what he was doing when she suddenly found herself crushed against his chest in a strong embrace. She could feel the heat from his body and the beating of his heart as his now even breaths tickled the top of her head. "Me too," he said as he lowered his mouth to her ear. "I love you too." She could feel him smile against her ear before he added, "I know you have a lot of other things to think about right now…but I had to let you know."

Kagome pushed back from his chest just enough to look up at him. He was smiling down at her in such a loving way and she saw that it was one of the few times since she'd met him that his smile completely reached his eyes.

Slowly, Kurama leaned down and gently captured her lips in a telling kiss. It wasn't demanding or harsh, but still managed to be passionate all the same. Kagome gasped a little when she felt Kurama nibble on her bottom lip, but gladly allowed him access to the rest of her mouth. They remained consumed in one another for several moments as they tasted the other and took comfort in the closeness of their bodies. Before they pulled away, Kagome was sure that she had the light rose scent that he seemed to give off naturally permanently engraved into her mind.

"I wasn't home yesterday because I went shopping for your birthday. I know it isn't for another couple of months, but under the circumstances I want you to have your gift now," Kurama explained as he pulled a box from his back pocket. It was long and thin and covered in fine black velvet with a red ribbon wrapped around the middle.

Kagome looked up at him excitedly before sliding the ribbon off and opening the little box. Inside she found a bracelet made of a sterling silver chain and a silver heart linked onto the large ring of the toggle clasp. Looking at the heart closer Kagome could see a small rose engraved on one side. "It's beautiful…" she said in a voice that was just above a whisper. She was trying not to cry in front of him.

"I was planning on asking you out when I gave this to you, but it looks like plans have changed. But Kagome," he waited for her to look up at him once more. "If I give this to you now you have to promise to come back safely so that we can have that date, okay?"

She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her at his reasoning, but nodded happily as a few tears started to leak from the corners of her eyes. She bit her lip to keep herself together as he removed the bracelet and placed it around her wrist. They admired it together for a few moments before he pulled her into another hug and kissed the top of her head. "You need to go soon, don't you?" He asked. At feeling her nod, he lifted her face with his hands so that he could see her and wipe the tears away as he said, "The go ahead before your friends start to worry. Besides…the sooner you leave, the sooner you'll come back. Right?"

Kagome smiled and nodded as she said, "Right…I promise I'll come back safe and sound."

"Good," he smiled down at her. "I'll be waiting for you."

Reluctantly letting her slip out of his arms, Kurama waved as he watched her leap into the magic well. The last glimpse of her he was able to see was the wrist and hand his bracelet rested on disappearing in a flash of blue light. With a sigh and a heavy heart, he turned to walk out of the well house and leave the shrine grounds when he heard a voice behind him. Standing by the door outside the well house was Kagome's younger brother.

"You don't have to worry about her. She'll come back. Sis always keeps her promises," the young boy said with a hopeful smile.

"Thanks," was all he said as he smiled and gave a nod to the boy before heading back down the massive staircase.

He would go home and wait for now because he knew that she would return someday. Reading the last line at the bottom of her letter again, Kurama couldn't help but smile.

_I'll try my hardest because now I have a reason to come home again. It's you…_

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AN: I've never been incredibly fond of my one-shots because I have trouble fitting what I want into the story and then finding a good place to stop. Feel free to give some constructive criticism if something about the style or flow irks you! Sorry for any errors that may be there, but it's about one in the morning and I wanted to get this posted before bed. I'll replace it with a proofed version in the next couple of days if it needs it. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed.


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